By J.C. Thomas
New Orleans is one of the world’s most enticing vacation destinations thanks to its totally unique heritage and culture. Formative years as a French, and briefly Spanish, colony shaped the sights and sounds of the city so profoundly that it seems any sense of generic Anglo-American-ness simply cannot, will not, take root. And so, the wonderful Windsor Court hotel, a high-end homage to the regal stylings of Old England, is a rare discovery.
The Windsor Court was developed by the New Orleans businessman James “Jimmy” Coleman, who studied at Oxford University and returned home an anglophile, inspired by the history, art and architecture of England. The hotel opened in 1984, just in time for the New Orleans-hosted world’s fair, and has been independently owned and managed ever since. It has earned many prestigious awards, among them the AAA Four Diamond award for 18 consecutive years and Travel + Leisure’s “Best Hotel in New Orleans” in 2025.
Another testament to the Windsor Court’s triumph is its status as a beloved Big Easy institution. The hotel’s luxury spa and restaurants, including traditional English afternoon tea service at Le Salon, are popular with locals. For hotel guests visiting from afar, there’s a sense of being let in on a secret. It’s a magnificent property hidden in plain sight, the entrance tucked behind tall, ivy-strewn walls that screen off a busy street corner in the central business district. The French Quarter is just a block away.
First impressions
During a recent visit to New Orleans with immediate and extended family (three adults and two children), we delighted in a two-night stay at the Windsor Court hotel. The property makes a memorable impression immediately upon arrival. Its shady courtyard entrance, flanked by mature trees and manicured flower beds, is guarded by a statue of Saint George, the patron saint of England. In the fountain at his feet, instead of the legendary dragon, sits a slain alligator — a humorous nod to the exotic local wildlife.
The first sight upon entering the expansive and lavishly appointed lobby is a bounteous display of fresh roses, which we learned are refreshed weekly by the hotel’s florist, in different colors to represent current seasons and holidays. Our visit was during the holiday season, so the red floral displays were temporarily outshined by a towering live tree in all its festive glory. Life-sized fluffy white reindeer, oversized bauble and snowball ornaments, shiny parcels and a working train set adorned the base. There was also a bright red mailbox especially for letters to Santa, with postcards available for personal requests.
We took a tour of the property to get an overview and learn more about its heritage and design. Most notable is the Windsor Court’s museum-quality art collection, valued at over $10 million and comprising paintings, sculptures, tapestries and antique furnishings from the late 17th to 20th centuries. Most are of British origin, with a running theme of royal regalia including portraits, London landmarks, racehorses, hunts, and the hotel’s namesake, Windsor Castle. One of the most impressive examples is a very large oil painting displayed between the front desk and coffee shop, “King Charles II’s Last Sunday” by William Frith. A many-peopled palatial scene of riches, it showcases billowing silks, fussy hairstyles, musical instruments, chandeliers and spaniels, all surrounding King Charles II on the eve of the end of his reign.
While Windsor Court’s art collection is on copious display, the hotel feels less like a gallery and more like a welcoming country estate. Antique mahogany furnishings, gilded mirrors, mixed and matched upholstery, deep-pile rugs, marble floors, and fresh flowers and greenery throughout the property lend it an inviting exuberance. The decor balances refined craftsmanship with rich textures and patterns. You’ll start to feel like you’re inside one of those 19th century oil paintings. No hallway, alcove or seating nook looks quite the same, turning a casual stroll around the hotel into a whimsical adventure.
Windsor Court accommodations
The Windsor Court boasts the most spacious hotel rooms in New Orleans. It scores extra points, too, for versatility in room and suite options, with configurations to please every kind of guest and group. Options range from standard guest rooms with one king or two queen beds to a penthouse presidential suite. In between are deluxe suites with a balcony and two-bedroom, two-bathroom corner suites. All suites feature high-end details like Italian marble bathrooms, luxe bedding, two smart TVs and a Lavazza Espresso coffee machine.
The upper four floors of the Windsor Court host club-level rooms and suites, which are well worth the upgrade. Our club-level suite was probably bigger than the average city apartment, with the two-queen bedroom separated from the living room by French doors. At one end of the living room, which has a sofa bed, was a charming dining area with a table and chairs, and a balcony connected to that through panoramic windows. The other end of the living room connected to a spacious wet bar and entrance space. Another doorway leads to a dressing area — so fancy! — and the bathroom, making the whole suite a versatile space that can feel like a single sprawling space or several discrete ones. Perhaps the best feature of all is the views. Walls of windows in both the bedroom and living room showcase the rooftops of the New Orleans skyline, backed by the broad and meandering Mississippi River.
The major reason to upgrade to a club-level room is access to the club lounge. In a charming set of rooms that feels part library and game room, part cocktail bar and bistro, club-level guests enjoy complimentary foods and beverages throughout the day. The lounge serves daily breakfasts, afternoon tea and light snacks, early evening cocktails and hors d’oeuvres, and then cordials and desserts. There’s a private full-service bar, plus a buffet area under handsomely curated book shelves. Take a seat in the dining space with views over New Orleans, cozy up on sofas by the fireplace, or gather around a board game in a private nook. There are also two outdoor terraces attached to the lounge.
We sampled plenty of the culinary offerings at the club lounge, and all were outstanding in selection and deliciousness. Embracing the English influence, afternoon tea options included sugar-topped scones with preserves and dainty egg and cucumber tea sandwiches. Order a pot of tea to fully embrace the vibe. The array of hot and cold hors d’oeuvres could easily comprise a full, amazing meal. Highlights among our evening’s choices included a crawfish salad, chargrilled lamb chops, buffalo chicken egg rolls and buttery garlic shrimp. This poses something of a dilemma in one of the world’s best culinary cities — satisfy every appetite in the lounge, or venture elsewhere? There’s no wrong answer. Either way, save at least a little room for dessert and return for beautiful bite-sized patisserie treats and chocolate-dipped strawberries.
Guest amenities at Windsor Court
Windsor Court’s decor, art collection and branding — an emblem of a knight on horseback — all evoke the English inspiration for the hotel. In its array of high-end amenities, however, Old England this is not! The property smartly departs from its history-flecked theme in embracing contemporary luxury for its full-service spa, rooftop pool complex and state-of-the-art fitness center.
It was too chilly for swimming during our stay, but we peeked at the recently remodeled, 65-foot saltwater pool with skyline views. For most of the year, the New Orleans climate (as unlike the UK’s as can be) would make a few hours at the pool a must-do experience. Rows of plush loungers flank the water and you can rent cabanas and enjoy tableside beverage service from the seasonal pool bar.
We checked out the fitness center, too, an impressive, light-filled facility with dozens of machines and ample space to work out in peace and privacy. The gym offers Precor cardio machines, Peloton bikes, TechnoGym equipment, weight machines, exercise balls and free weights, all in a calming space of teak, bamboo and earth tones.
Book a beauty or wellness treatment at the Windsor Court Spa and you’ll enjoy access to the serene space’s saunas, steam rooms, and relaxation areas. The lengthy menu of treatment options includes full-body massages with personalized aromatherapy, rejuvenating facials and mani-pedi services.
Other Windsor Court amenities include concierge service and valet parking with unlimited in/outs. EV charging stations are available, as is a complimentary house car service for drop-off locations within 3 miles. The hotel is pet-friendly and has a pampered pet program to provide dog beds, treats and water and food bowls.
Windsor Court dining
For breakfast, lunch, dinner, drinks and snacks, Windsor Court’s lineup of eateries not only has you covered, but also claims a solid place in the world-class culinary scene of New Orleans.
Wake up and fuel your vacation adventures at the Last Sunday Coffee Bar in the lobby. Its to-go counter service offers a creative range of barista drinks — cappuccino, latte, or white hot chocolate topped with whipped cream, anyone? Choose from a tempting display of house-made pastries or refrigerated breakfast sandwiches to be heated up for you on purchase. Sandwiches, salads, parfaits and dessert items are also available.
Windsor Court’s signature restaurant is The Grill Room, open for breakfast, lunch, dinner and a popular weekend jazz brunch. The accessible and friendly fine-dining spot is celebrated for its modern American cuisine with a strong embrace of New Orleans tradition. Its unique and elegant space wraps around and overlooks the courtyard entrance such that most of the tables feel like they’re in a semi-private enclave. Dining areas also include a charming jewelry box-inspired side room with a recessed, mirrored ceiling and chandelier. Three panoramic murals, hand-painted in a rich color palette, depict turn-of-the-century New Orleans street scenes.
Our group of kids and adults dined at the Grill Room while staying at the Windsor Court. We really appreciated the broad options for customizing a dinner experience, as the restaurant offers several different dinner menus: prix fixe and a la carte formats across six or so menu sections, plus a reveillon with optional wine pairings, and a kid’s menu. Our picky child went with his go-to chicken strips and fries, a significant upgrade from the typical kid’s plate, chef-made from scratch and served with a garlic aioli. The non-picky kid and two adults in our party went with a la carte selections, and the third for the reveillon. While deciding, we all devoured an uncommonly good house-made bread, studded with roasted grapes and served with smoked-salt-dusted butter.
The reveillon, a four-course tasting menu, brought a unique New Orleans classic, turtle soup, to the table. None of our party had tasted turtle before so samples were shared. While novel to us out-of-towners, the soup was somehow familiar in its slow-cooked richness with tender threads of mild meat. A very knowledgeable sommelier presented the wine pairings, discussing the origins of some unusual labels to go with the rest of the tasting menu items: a pear salad, filet mignon with a precision-cut rectangular block of a crispy layered and pressed potato slices, and a painterly raspberry tart.
My own order was a cold starter of beef tartare, an incredible umami overload under a glossy egg yolk and showering of fresh parsley, plus char-grilled rustic toasts on the side. To accompany this came sharable copper pots of broccolini, the heads just wilting and some crunch left in the stems, and baby fingerling potatoes roasted to a bronzed shine. We all traded bites, with other highlights of our table’s lineup including plump seared scallops and a dish of big, blackened shrimp over hearty grits enriched with cheeses and herbs.
Dinner at the Grill Room veers away from the Windsor Court’s British theme to embrace a very French style of slow, leisurely dining — unrushed and luxuriant. Starched white linens and wicker-backed chairs suit the languid New Orleans version of fine dining that causes all who appreciate good food to fall madly in love with the city.
Additional on-site dining options at the Windsor Court are: Le Salon for traditional English afternoon tea service on Fridays to Sundays; the Polo Club for classic cocktails and elevated pub fare; the Pool Bar (seasonal) serving cabana-style outdoor food and drinks; and room service, available 24 hours a day.
Details:
The Windsor Court
300 Gravier Street, New Orleans, LA 70130
(504) 523-6000
California News Press and its contributors received goods, services and/or other professional courtesies to facilitate this review. All opinions are those of the author.
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